An impressive feat for someone so young, 11-year-old Sarv Dharavane from DeKalb County is once again heading to the highly competitive Scripps National Spelling Bee, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. This year marks Sarv's second consecutive win at the Georgia Association of Educators State Spelling Bee, where his precise spelling of "compas," a type of Haitian music, clinched his victory.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sarv joined by 12-year-old Sara Daoud, the runner-up, will represent Georgia amid the nation's elite young spellers. Last year, Sarv reached the national semifinals, and this year, he's aiming to venture even further into the esteemed competition. Underpinning his success is a regimented routine of daily practice, as well as a voracious reading habit that sees him and his family regularly checking out up to 50 books from the public library.
It's not just Sarv who has benefitted from his spelling bee journey; his family's vocabulary has notably increased, "There is no actual win or loss in this competition. It’s all about learning," Sarv's father, Shailesh, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Despite the pressure and immense challenge, the young speller remains grounded in the joy of learning new words and, notably his philosophy towards competition reflects a mature perspective on personal growth and education.
While many students might feel daunted by the spotlight, Sarv compares his preparation to being in a "kiddie pool", and the actual bee to diving into the "ocean." It's clear that Sarv understands, the importance of staying composed under pressure, a skill he's honed through his previous experiences on the national stage. His commitment to the craft has resonated with the community as well, where restaurants aired the spelling bee and his school rallied behind him, as Austin Elementary's Principal Avis Mooneyham remarked about last year's support and anticipated similar enthusiasm for the upcoming competition.
